Archive for February, 2009

I’m shocked Greg Biffle was able to make the comeback for the win. I guess everyone had a bit of bad luck in Vegas today.

Greg Biffle has snapped a 76-race winless streak by winning the Nationwide Series race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

Biffle ran out of gas while leading with 54 laps to go Saturday, but cycled back into the lead after every other driver who took a turn leading ran into their own problems.

Congrats to the #16 team.

Is it any surprise that the Busch brothers would dominate on their home track? Maybe Kurt can turn that dominance into a win too.

It was brotherly love, briefly, at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

Kyle Busch and Kurt Busch became the first brothers since 2000 to sweep the front row in qualifying for a NASCAR race, but Kyle Busch’s blown motor will prevent the Las Vegas drivers from starting next to each other at their home track.

Kyle Busch blew a motor in his Toyota during Friday’s practice session, changed the engine, then ran a pole-winning lap of 185.995 mph to knock his big brother off the pole. Kurt Busch ran a lap at 185.707 mph.

Believe it or not, I am actually looking forward to the race this weekend.

Kyle Busch has already made NASCAR history and the Sprint Cup race hasn’t even started yet.

Busch became the first driver to win two races in two different series in the same day when he took the Stater Bros. 300 Nationwide Series race on Saturday, leading 143 of 150 laps over top challengers Kevin Harvick and Carl Edwards.

Busch ran away with the win in the Camping World Trucks series race earlier in the day, leading 95 of 100 laps en route to a 9.023 second victory.

The 23-year-old Busch, who is the only driver pulling triple duty this weekend, starts 10th in the Sprint Cup race on Sunday.

Congrats Kyle!

It wasn’t the finish I wanted. I hate rain outs. I want them to race to the end.

The rain was coming, and Matt Kenseth knew it was time to get going.

It was the Daytona 500, a race where drivers wait until the very end to make their big move for NASCAR’s biggest prize.

Only this time, nobody knew when the end would be.

The rain that had threatened Sunday’s season-opening race all day finally rolled in moments after Kenseth slid past Elliott Sadler for the lead, and the former NASCAR champion was forced to sit out a 20-minute delay before claiming victory. It was just the fourth rain-shortened 500 in the race’s 51-year history, and first since Michael Waltrip’s 2003 victory.

So what did you think about the race?

When Boston Vultures Ventures bought their stake in Petty Enterprises, it was the beginning of the end. What a sham, for the Petty’s and the fans.

There won’t be a Petty in the Daytona 500 for the first time in more than 40 years.

Kyle Petty, the son of seven-time Daytona 500 winner Richard Petty, knew the day would come when NASCAR’s first family wouldn’t be at stock car racing’s Super Bowl. But he’s not happy about it.

Petty, who dropped by the infield Saturday to do some TV work and promote a celebrity golf event he’ll host later this year in Phoenix, will be home in North Carolina on Sunday.

“I won’t even watch it on TV, that’s what it’s like,” said Petty, who’s run the 500 more than 25 times. “It’s crap is what it’s like.”

Petty found himself out of a job when Petty Enterprises merged with Gillett Evernham Motorsports and was rebranded Richard Petty Motorsports. The move kept the Petty name in the business, but Kyle Petty said he feels no loyalty for the new team.

I don’t blame him. Not one bit.

Congratulations to Tony Stewart for winning the season opener in the Nationwide Series.

n a wreck in Daytona 500 practice could ruin Tony Stewart’s day. Getting to Victory Lane has a way of making things better.

Just five hours after Stewart stood brooding over his battered Daytona 500 car, he found himself celebrating a second straight season-opening Nationwide Series win at Daytona International Speedway.

As a Ryan Newman fan, I look forward to watching the success of Stewart-Haas Racing this year. I guess I should think about getting a new cap for this season, huh?

Congratulations to Jeff Gordon and Kyle Busch.

Jeff Gordon won the first Gatorade Duel.

Jeff Gordon found his way back to Victory Lane.

The four-time NASCAR Cup series champion, who went winless last year for the first time since his 1993 rookie season, held on to win Thursday’s first Gatorade Duel during the first qualifying race for Sunday’s Daytona 500.

And Kyle Busch won the second one.

Kyle Busch got a little help from Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Denny Hamlin to win Thursday’s second Gatorade Duel at Daytona.

Hamlin pushed Busch past Mark Martin with five laps remaining, and Busch was able to hold off a last-lap charge from Martin and Brian Vickers to win the race to the checkered flag.

Two of my guys are starting at the back of the pack for the Daytona 500.

Ryan Newman had engine trouble,

Ryan Newman will start his 150-mile qualifying race at the back of the pack. The No. 39 Chevrolet suffered an engine malfunction in Wednesday’s first practice session at Daytona International Speedway.

and Michael Waltrip crashed during practice.

Okay, I was so caught up in the day, that I forgot the Budweiser shootout was this evening. While we were out, I was upset that I forgot to set the dvr, but when we got home I was pleasantly surprised to find out my NASCAR event setting was still in the dvr and it grabbed it for me.

Thrilling finish, dramatic wrecks and a record number of lead changes.

It was just what NASCAR wanted, and needed.

I guess I know what I’ll be watching here in a bit.

I hope Michael Waltrip has a kick ass season. I have always been a Michael Waltrip fan, and I would hate to see him climb out of the racecar without a better season as an owner. He deserves it.

Michael Waltrip once worked at Wendy’s, but quit the fast-food chain after cutting his finger in a tomato slicer.

He later had a job helping his father deliver Pepsi-Cola, but as a loyal Coca-Cola customer, he walked away because he felt as if he were deceiving the customers.

Now Waltrip is at another career crossroad, unsure if its time to climb out of his race car.

Are you excited yet? Daytona is right around the corner. Before long we’re going to be watching the same cars traveling around in circles. The only difference this year, is a lot of the drivers have shuffled to other teams.